NORTHERN HILLS ALCOHOL AND DRUG SERVICES

DBA COMPASS POINT

JOB DESCRIPTION

TITLE: Licensed Addiction Counselor

Certified Addiction Counselor

REPORTS TO: Clinical Supervisor

MAIN FUNCTION: Delivers quality treatment services to substance abusers, their families and those with co-occurring disorders

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RESPONSIBILITIES AND SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

Demonstrates competency in each of the following 12 Core Functions and global criteria

  1. SCREENING: Determines the appropriateness and eligibility for admission to Compass Point.

Global Criteria:

  1. Evaluates psychological, social and psychological signs and symptoms of alcohol and other drug use.
  2. Determine client’s appropriateness for admission or referral
  3. Determines client’s eligibility for admission or referral
  4. Identifies any coexisting conditions (medical, psychiatric, physical, etc.) that indicates a need for additional professional assessment and/or services
  5. Adheres to applicable laws, regulations and Compass Point policies governing alcohol and other drug abuse services

If client is determined to be inappropriate for admission to Compass Point, counselor will suggest alternative.

  1. INTAKE: The administrative and initial assessment procedures for admission to Compass Point.

Global Criteria

  1. Complete required documentation for admission to Compass Point program.
  2. Complete required documentation for program eligibility and appropriateness.
  3. Obtain appropriately signed consents when soliciting from or providing information to outside sources to protect client confidentiality and rights.
  1. ORIENTATION: Describe to the client the following: general nature and goals of the programs: rules governing conduct and infractions that can lead to disciplinary action or discharge from the program; in a non-residential program, hours during which services are available; treatment costs to be borne by the client, if any, and client’s rights.

Global Criteria:

  1. Provide an overview to the client by describing program goals and objectives for client care.
  2. Provide an overview to the client by describing program rules, and client obligations and rights.
  3. Provide an overview to the client of the programs operations.
  1. ASSESSMENT: Identifies and evaluates individual’s strengths, weaknesses, problems and needs for the development of a recovery plan.

Global Criteria:

  1. Gather relevant history from client including but not limited to alcohol and drug abuse using appropriate interview techniques.
  2. Identify methods and procedures for obtaining corroborative information from significant secondary sources regarding client’s alcohol and other drug abuse and psycho-social history.
  3. Identify and utilize appropriate assessment tools (including mental health assessment).
  4. Explain to the client the rationale for the use of assessment techniques in order to facilitate understanding.
  5. Develop a diagnostic evaluation of the client’s substance abuse and any coexisting conditions based on the results of all assessments in order to provide an integrated approach to treatment planning based on the client’s strengths, weaknesses, and identified problems and needs.

Evaluation includes major life areas such as: physical, health, vocational development, social adaptation legal involvement, psychological functioning and assesses the extent to which alcohol and drug use has interfered with client’s functioning in these areas the results of which will determine the focus of treatment/recovery.

  1. TREATMENT PLANNING: Collaborate with the client to identify strengths that can assist the client to rank areas of concern that the client has identified as needing resolution and establish agreed upon immediate and long term goals and the process and resources that will be utilized to achieve the goal(s).

Global Criteria:

  1. Explain assessment result to the client an understandable manner.
  2. Identify and rank problems based on individual client needs in a written recovery plan that utilizes client’s personal statement of need.
  3. Formulate agreed upon immediate and long-term goals using behavioral terms in the written recovery plan.
  4. Identify the treatment methods and resources to be utilized as appropriate for the individual client in specific language and describes the service, who will provide what, where and at what frequency.
  1. COUNSELING: Utilize special individual, group, family counseling skills to assist individuals, families or groups to achieve personalized objectives through exploration of the strengths and problems and their ramifications; examination of attitudes and feelings; consideration of alternative solutions and decision making.

Global Criteria:

  1. Identify appropriate counseling theories that may apply
  2. Apply techniques to assist client, group and/or family in exploring problems and ramifications
  3. Apply techniques to assist the client and/or family in examining client’s behavior, attitudes, and/or feelings if appropriate in the treatment setting.
  4. Individualize counseling in accordance with culture, gender, life-style differences.
  5. Interact with the client in an appropriate therapeutic manner.
  6. Elicit solutions and decisions from the client.
  7. Implement the Recovery Plan.
  1. CASE MANAGEMENT: Utilize activities that bring services, agencies and resources or people together within a planned framework of action toward the achievement of established goals. This may include liaison activities and collateral contacts.

Global Criteria:

  1. Coordinate services for client care.
  2. Explain the rationale of case management activities to the client.
  1. CRISIS INTERVENTION: Recognize and respond to client’s needs during acute emotional and/or physical distress.

Global Criteria:

  1. Recognize the elements of the client’s crisis.
  2. Implement an immediate course of action appropriate to the crisis.
  3. Enhance overall treatment by utilizing crisis event.
  1. CLIENT EDUCATION: Provide information to individuals and groups concerning alcohol/drug abuse, the implications of, and the available services and resources.

Global Criteria:

  1. Present relevant alcohol and other drug use/abuse information to the client through formal and/or informal processes. May also include relevant information on co-occurring disorders as appropriate to client need.
  2. Present information about available alcohol and other drug services and resources.
  1. REFERRAL: Identify needs of the client that cannot be met by NHADS and assist the client to utilize the support systems and community resources available.

Global Criteria:

  1. Identify needs and problems that NHADS and/or counselor cannot meet.
  2. Explain the rationale for the referral to the client.
  3. Match client needs and/or problems to appropriate resources.
  4. Adhere to applicable laws, regulations and NHADS policies governing procedures related to the protection of client confidentiality.
  5. Assist the client in utilizing the support systems and community resources.
  1. REPORTS AND RECORD KEEPING: Chart results of the assessment and recovery plan, produce written reports, progress notes discharge summaries and other client related data.

Global Criteria:

  1. Prepare reports and relevant records integrating available information to facilitate the continuum of care.
  2. Chart pertinent ongoing information pertaining to the client.
  3. Utilize relevant information from written documents for client care.
  1. CONSULTATION WITH OTHER PROFESSIONALS IN REGARD TO CLIENT TREATMENT SERVICES: Communicates with in-house staff or outside professionals to assure comprehensive, quality care for the client.

Global Criteria:

  1. Recognize issues that are beyond the base of knowledge and/or skills.
  2. Consult with appropriate resources to ensure the provision of effective treatment services.
  3. Adhere to applicable laws, regulations and agency policies governing the disclosure of client identifying data.
  4. Explain the rationale for the consultation to the client, if appropriate.

Additional Responsibilities:

  • Participates in Team meetings.
  • Regularly consults with clinical supervisor and/or other counselors with regards to staffing client cases.
  • Submits client files to Clinical Supervisor upon request for Quarterly Assurance Reviews.
  • Responsible for maintaining requirements for counselor certification (dates due and number of continuing education hours required)